Love Me Till the End
by supernaturallymarvelous
Summary: Erika is the rightful Queen Under the Mountain. She is ready to take her place after her father's death. But many things will delay her, including a quest to defeat the Enemy. She knows she will survive until she makes it back, as it is written in the prophecy, but doubt still brews. Will she one day reign as Queen Under the Mountain with King Legolas of Mirkwood at her side?
1. Thorin's Daughter

_A/N: I have been working on this story for some time now. I decided to finally publish the first chapter. I am dedicating this story to the amazing Christopher Lee, who just passed away several days ago. He will always be Saruman in my mind._

 _To clear things up, this story starts at the end of the Hobbit and will continue just past The Return of the King._

 _Disclaimer: I own only Erika._

Thorin whispered in Bilbo's ear just before he passed on a simple phrase that would haunt the Hobbit for the days to come.

 _My daughter, heir to the throne, awaits her call in Minas Tirith._

Bilbo finally confessed this to Gandalf just before the funeral for Durin's line. Gandalf quickly passed on the word. Within the hour of Bilbo's confession, Legolas had set out on horseback towards the realm of Gondor to find Thorin's daughter.

The news traveled quickly. Word reached Minas Tirith within a day of the recapture of Erebor. Everyone in Gondor heard that Thorin and his nephews were dead. Including a woman who mostly kept to herself. No one knew much about the dark haired woman. Her blue eyes seemed to pierce your soul when she looked at you. So everyone avoided her. This was fine with Erika. She preferred not to get too close with these people. She would be vulnerable if she were to make friends. This made it only easier on her. For when the word spread to her that Thorin and his heirs had died at the battle to reclaim Erebor, she had bought a horse and packed. Within the hour she had set off north toward the land of her father. Her thick, curly, dark hair flowed behind her as she rode north. She traveled for nearly a day when she heard a noise from far off. She hid her horse and found a position in a tree with her bow loaded with an arrow and ready to strike. An elf rode into the small clearing. Her curiosity got the better of her. His long blond hair and clothing characterized him as a Sindarin elf.

 _"Who are you?"_ she called in elvish. The elf turned in her direction.

"I am Legolas of Mirkwood. Show yourself!" he demanded. Erika reluctantly jumped to the ground, her bow still loaded and aimed at the man's head.

"I must be going. I need to find someone in Gondor before the sun rises tomorrow," he told her.

"For whom do you search? I come from Minas Tirith now," she explained.

"I do not know her name. I search for the woman that should rightfully rule Erebor," Legolas proclaimed. Erika smirked a little. Fate was surely on his side.

"You have found me. Let's get to the Lonely Mountain, shall we?" she teased, tossing her bow over she shoulder. She leapt gracefully onto her hidden horse and turned her path north.

"You are Thorin's daughter then?" Legolas interrupted her.

"I am daughter of Thorin, heir of Durin, and Asta, the half-human, half-elven Dúnedain woman who ended the wars between elves and men in previous ages," Erika claimed proudly.

"You're saying that you are half dwarf, one fourth Dúnedain, and one fourth elf?" Legolas asked incredulously.

"Of course," Erika said, laughing at the look on his face.

"The dwarves will not want a woman on their throne, let alone a woman not fully dwarf," Legolas warned as his horse caught up to hers.

"I don't think I care. If I do not rule, who will? Dís, my aunt? Or Dain? No, I have the true claim to the throne," she swore. Legolas admired this woman as she sat confidently on her black horse. Some of her dark hair was pulled back into braids in the fashion of an elf mixed with that of a dwarf. Her beauty was more striking than that of a human or even an elf. Her ears were just slightly pointed, revealing the fourth elven blood that ran through her. She made quite the impression. Her beauty and carefree attitude made her a strange heir to the throne of Erebor indeed.

"Are you staring at me?" she called out to him teasingly.

"And what if I am?" he responded lightly.

"Why good sir, I do believe it is slightly inappropriate to act such away to a woman so high above your social status," she retorted. She heard him chuckling at her answer.

"Why, my lady, I believe you may be mistaken about who I am exactly," he finally responded.

"Oh?" she asked.

"Indeed. Allow me to introduce myself. I am Prince Legolas, son of the Elvenking Thranduil of the Woodland Realm of Mirkwood," he said proudly. His ego was bruised a bit when she laughed loudly. "What, may I ask, is so funny?" he requested.

"Nothing," she said simply. Up until then, she had been in the lead. Now he spurred his horse forward a bit to catch up to her. Once he was side by side with her, he asked again.

"Nothing isn't that funny. So what is so funny about my full title?" he questioned. He looked over at her to see a sparkle glinting in her eyes.

"If you must know I was laughing at your futile-and obvious-attempt to impress me. Men always try woo me within minutes of meeting me, and it would appear that elves are no exception to this," she informed him seriously. He was ashamed to admit that his gaping mouth resembled that of a fish's at that moment.

"I may have been trying to impress you, but it was certainly never my intent to woo you," he finally protested. He had fallen behind her again in his shock. He suddenly noticed her shoulders shaking and quickly realized it was from laughter.

"You are entirely too gullible, my dear elf," she told him once the laughter had subsided.

"Was my attempt at impressing you really futile?" he asked. He saw her choke down a laugh again before she answered.

"I am afraid it was. You forget I am Erika, half-dwarf from my father Thorin Oakenshield, King Under the Mountain, a quarter elf and a quarter Dúnedain from my mother, Asta the Brave who had songs sung about her in all parts of the world. Your titles mean nothing to me," she told him almost flippantly. This shut Legolas up effectively for a long while. They rode on in silence, both unknowingly thinking of the other.

 _A/N: Sorry the first chapter is a tad short. Just so you know, I have 58 pages written with 20 chapters. I am only a little ways into Return of the King now. Reviews are welcome and encouraged!_


	2. An Ominous Warning in Mirkwood

_A/N: Sorry that it's a little slow in the first couple chapters. It'll pick up once we got passed the whole introduction to the character and the way she acts and her backstory and stuff. Hope you all enjoy chapter 2! Reviews are welcomed!_

 _Disclaimer: I think you all know that I do not in any way own anything except Erika and her story._

They reached the edge of Mirkwood before two days had passed since Bilbo had alerted Gandalf of Thorin's message. Legolas gave her a nervous look as they sat at the edge of the woods.

"Mirkwood is not safe. Gandalf assured us the threat was gone, yet some traces of a dark spell still remain in the forest. It can cause confusion and illusions in dwarves and humans. It doesn't affect elves though," he warned. She nearly rolled her eyes.

"Do not mistake me for a petty human," she warned. She figured the forest shouldn't affect her. So far, her elf part had protected her from anything that should seek to harm her. The forest should not be anything different. That was her reasoning anyway. And yet, as she entered Mirkwood, she knew something was wrong. She didn't feel confused or faint. She was clear-headed as usual. But her usual strength that came from the magic in her blood, was draining her. She soon felt physically more exhausted than she felt in her life. Some dark power lurked in this forest, and the darkness was going to kill her. She turned to Legolas to say something, only to realize he had noticed something was wrong already.

"The darkness is draining the magic that allows me to live," she quickly explained. Legolas looked back the way they had come and then ahead, as if considering their options.

"We have to go back," she groaned fearfully, wondering how he could think there was even an option to go forward. Immediately Legolas shook his head in disagreement.

"No, the darkness is playing tricks on our minds. We are close to my father's palace, though it seems we've only been riding for minutes," Legolas said confidently. Erika didn't understand how this could be.

"We can't be very far from the entrance. I'm going to die, unless we make the right decision," she told him. Already, consciousness was becoming hazy. She wasn't going to survive much longer. It felt like someone had sucked her soul from her body. Legolas seemed confident that they weren't far from Thranduil's palace, so she decided to trust him. "Let's go forward," she whispered as the world faded into a dream. Eventually she felt nothing except the darkness that surrounded her.

 _You will not live._

 _You can't survive._

 _I am stronger._

 _I will defeat your petty magic._

 _All men will fail in the end._

The words sounded in her mind as she slowly felt herself being drawn back into life. She woke suddenly just as the last words echoed loudly through her head. Legolas' face was the first thing she saw when her vision cleared. He looked concerned.

"Are you okay? Erika? Is everything okay?" he asked. Erika felt a little twinge at how worried he seemed to be about her.

"I've been better. I take it we were close to your father's palace?" she asked. He nodded slightly.

"We were only less than a minute's ride. Gandalf did warn that a remnant of the dark spell might remain. I don't understand how it manipulated both of our minds though," he explained. Erika felt the darkness close like it was closing in on its prey. She felt a shiver go down her spine.

"I don't know. But I need to get to Erebor to be crowned," she said. Legolas nodded.

"A boat awaits us as soon as you feel ready," Legolas addressed the issue.

"Us?" Erika questioned.

"You, me, my father, and some guards will make the journey," Legolas informed her. She nodded in understanding. Suddenly her stomach was filled with butterflies as she realized how close she was. Just a little while further and she'd be in the homeland of her father and his people. Soon, she would be a queen. Not just any queen either, she'd be Queen Under the Mountain.


	3. Erebor

_A/N: Sorry, forgot to update, been a tad busy and stressed! Enjoy the chapter because they finally reach Erebor!_

 _Disclaimer: Pretty sure everyone knows I do not own The Hobbit or The Lord of the Rings (though I am now the proud owner of the books, yay!)_

Within three hours of her waking, they set out on a boat down the river to the lake. They used the rather dangerous water route for fear of entering the forest again. Legolas had explained that Thranduil's palace had a cloak of elven magic protecting it from any dark magic that would seek to enter. Unfortunately, the woods surrounding it had no such protection, but the river should be relatively safe.

The day had been clear and sunny, but was quickly becoming chilly and foggy as it neared evening. The river spilled into the lake just as the sun was preparing to set for the night. Sadness and compassion filled her as they sailed silently by the recently destroyed town of Esgaroth. That was when she caught her first glimpse of The Lonely Mountain. The fog cleared enough for her to catch sight of it with her elven eyes just as the sun's rays spread their final light across the mountain. She was finally home. Her breath caught in her throat and she fought the tears that formed in the corners of her eyes. Legolas came to stand next to her in the small boat.

"It's beautiful," she whispered breathlessly.

"Yes, it is," Legolas agreed. She realized he was not facing the mountain, however, he was watching her. She turned to face him.

"I cannot do this to you," she said stubbornly.

"Do what?" Legolas asked her, a pained look crossing his face.

"You can't get involved with me," was her simple response. Erika turned to move away from him. He caught her arm.

"Why?" he asked simply.

"Your father has done nothing but glare at me since I stepped foot on this boat. He hates me," she said glancing to where Thranduil lay sleeping with three guards around him. "Second, I am to be a dwarfish queen. Nothing will anger them more than their queen, a quarter elvish herself, getting involved with an elf, especially Thranduil's son. Third, I will live longer than any other being in Middle Earth. I have the immortality of an elf, the long lifespan of a dwarf, and the blessed lifespan of a Dúnedain. I will long outlive you," Erika explained, growing a little bitter. Legolas was silent.

"And what if I don't care about those excuses?" was his response eventually. Erika felt like throwing him off of the boat.

"It can never work between us. Period," she said, frustrated. She moved to the other side of the boat and sat down. As she did so, she heard a few curses against the stubbornness of dwarves in elvish softly coming from Legolas' lips.

Thranduil woke up as the boat neared the dock of the city of Dale. A tall, dark-haired man stood on the dock waiting their arrival. Legolas identified him as Bard, King of the Dale for her. When the boat reached the shores, Thranduil was the first one off of the boat. Erika caught the look of exasperation and a understanding that he threw Bard's way. The two must have met before. Out loud they simply greeted each other by saying the other's name. She was the next off of the boat.

"Bard, King of Dale, I've been told. It is a pleasure to meet you," she said reaching out to shake his hand. He seemed startled at first but shook her hand anyway.

"My queen, it is an honor, I'm sure," Bard greeted. Erika smirked at that greeting. He was not expecting a woman like her, of that she was certain.

"I'm not queen yet. But I hope that you may call me Erika, as friends should, even after I am crowned," she told Bard. He nodded his agreement and offered his arm. She took it, and they strolled through town together. She bit back a smile as she glanced back at Legolas and his father. Neither looked very pleased at the forming friendship between the Dragon-slayer and the Dwarvish Queen.

They finally stopped in front of a house, just slightly bigger and in better shape than the rest. It seemed peaceful. Erika assumed it was Bard's house. This thought was confirmed by the little girl that ran out yelling "Da!" as she flung herself into Bard's arm. Another young woman and a young man came to the doorway smiling. Bard whispered something in the girl's ear that sent her running back to the other two. Four horses were brought forth, and the four of them each mounted one. They rode towards the entrance of the mountain. As soon as she entered Erebor, Erika was overwhelmed by the sheer enormousness of it all. They slowly descended into the rest of the kingdom. The sight of the gold took her breath away.

"Oh, Mahal," she muttered under her breath. She noticed all of the dwarves standing around watching her cautiously. She felt a little anger well up inside of her. They thought she would get dragon sickness. They thought she was just like her father and the rest of her family. Well, she had news for them; she was not her father. Nor was she her grandfather or her great-grandfather. She was honorable. She also had a secret weapon against dragon sickness. She was not merely a dwarf as they had been. Her elven and Dúnedain blood would prevent her from falling to dragon sickness. And yet all these dwarves, her people, were worried that she would be as weak as her father. She would be strong. She would be a leader to be proud of. As she brushed her hair behind her ears, she heard some gasps. She stood taller, proud of her heritage. She knew it would cause problems with some people, but she refused to be bullied by her people.

Many dwarves gathered to catch a glimpse of not only their new queen, but Bard and Thranduil as well. A dwarrowdam with dark hair and beard in braids came forward to greet them.

"Welcome, my brother-daughter. I am Dís, sister to your father. I am glad to see you unharmed through the hard journey north," she greeted them. Though Dís' words were genuine and kindly, something about her tone made Erika uneasy. She knew a lie when she saw one. Dís was not as happy to see her as she claimed. She slipped her arm out of Bard's and curtsied to her aunt out of respect. She couldn't help but feel a little anger at the unwelcome greeting she was getting. She suspected it had to do with her pointed ears and traveling companions of the same sort. The dwarves had been raised to hate elves. And yet their queen was elvish and accompanied by two elves as well. She felt herself growing cold toward her own people. As much as she wanted to be a good ruler, she knew that every eye was watching and waiting for her to make a mistake so they could kick her out and claim Dís as queen. Erika resolved to not let that happen. They followed Dís through the halls of Erebor until they finally arrived in a rather large sitting room. Ten dwarves, a hobbit, and a wizard awaited their arrival there. She assumed these were her father's companions on his quest to reclaim their homeland. They each introduced themselves to her, but she was only partially listening. The white haired one caught her by the arm as he exited the room with the balding, tattooed one.

"Do not let Dís catch you alone. I fear she has something sinister planned to prevent you from taking the throne," he whispered to her. Erika looked at him, startled. She saw the fear for her in his eyes. She nodded slightly as he took his leave. Gandalf stared at her for several moments before nodding slightly.

"So how are you, my dear?" he asked.

"Mithrandir, I had feared you had forgotten me after so long," she teased gently.

"My girl, it has only been...oh, I suppose it has been ten years," Gandalf said, realizing what she meant by her words. They had not seen each other since she parted ways with her mother's people all of those years before.

"Are you surprised to realize that it was me that was Thorin's daughter?" she questioned. Gandalf smiled a little.

"At first I was taken aback. But I do see the similarities between you two now," he said. She said up straight, smirking at him.

"And now you understand why I would not tell you my father's name," she said. He nodded.

Erika thought back to when they first met. She had been with the Dúnedain when she happened upon the gray wizard fighting an orc pack alone. If she had not been quick with her bow, he might not have made it out alive. She was the scout for her people for that very reason. With her elvish and Dúnedain blood, she was the best and quickest bow-woman that they had. Gandalf traveled with them for a time. He left after two weeks, but before he left, he encouraged her to go further and to travel. She found herself taking his advice. She waited until her dearest friend, Gilraen, had given birth to her son before she parted ways with her mother's people. She traveled through Rivendell and eventually found her way to Rohan, where she stayed for three years. Then she left again wandering for a couple of years. Finally she had settled in Gondor. If Gandalf had not told her to leave all those years ago, she might not be about to be crowned Queen Under the Mountain now.

Erika knew hardships lay before her as she noticed the subtle angry glare Dís was sending her way. But she knew this was where she should be.

 _A/N: if you caught that little "reference", then you may have discovered part of the future storyline ;) Reviews are welcomed!_


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